


Fish

by writingwithmolls



Series: Into the Rose Garden [7]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Multi, Polyamory, Post-Time Skip, Post-War, that trigger is for a ref to Edelgard's past, y'all know how it is: they have two hands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:27:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25436146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingwithmolls/pseuds/writingwithmolls
Summary: Byleth returns from the Officer's Academy with a (questionably named) present for both of her partners, but Edelgard has doubts about the future of their family.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg, Dorothea Arnault/Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, Dorothea Arnault/My Unit | Byleth, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Series: Into the Rose Garden [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1575940
Comments: 20
Kudos: 68





	Fish

**Author's Note:**

> As said in the tags, light trigger warnings for references to Edelgard's past. Otherwise, enjoy!

_ Dorothea & El, _

_ Hello, darlings. Your last letter made me smile, thank you for writing me so often. It’s nice to imagine both of you sitting together to pen messages to me all the way at the monastery. I hope my letters have become more eloquent. Both of you have such a way with words… I hope to replicate it someday (I  _ am  _ the teacher). _

_ I’m glad to hear El made it home safely. I know you are worried about negotiations and the search for a proper leader, but I am confident that you will do the best job. I hope travelling with Hubert and Ferdinand didn’t cause  _ too _ many headaches. Despite your differences, the three of you work wonderfully together. I feel like both you and I know that Ferdinand has all the qualities of a leader, but that’s a difficult thing for you and Hubert to admit. El, I know I say it often but you are an amazing leader, I am confident that you will leave our country in safe hands. _

_ As for Dorothea, I wish I could have seen your last shows. I still remember the opening nights well and even then you were perfectly suited for the stage—you must have been a sight to behold that final night! A few of my students from the capital sang praises about you… I don’t even think they knew you were mine. You stole the show as we knew you would, I’m so proud of you. _

_ For me, teaching is going well. Raphael’s little sister is the star of my class, but everyone is working so hard. I know this is my second year back, but I truly love getting to teach them. It’s all a bit different when you’re working with no war hanging over your heads… and although existing class divides still stand, it’s nothing like when you were at the academy. It’s a whole new world and I’m looking forward to it. _

_ In regards to the future, your dreams of a small cottage called to me… I read it again and again before sitting down to write. Perhaps our family isn’t something we can have at the moment, but soon the throne will be passed and there will be a certain degree of freedom. May I suggest living near Garreg Mach? I can continue to teach and we would be able to see one another frequently… it could be lovely. Both of you seem to seriously be considering expanding our family—I have to admit it was something that never came to mind. Then again, I never thought much about romance and now I have two beautiful partners. Perhaps we can discuss more when I visit next? Our future is quite an exciting prospect and I’m glad to see that both of you are discussing it. _

_ All of my love, _

_ Byleth _

* * *

“I just wish we could visit her during the year… take a trip,” Edelgard said, pacing their room as they waited for Byleth to return. Their love was expected back that day, both of them getting ready earlier than usual and canceling all the plans on their schedule. Just that morning they had sat down and read Byleth’s letter once more, laughing at the scrawl of her handwriting and the way her words took shape.

“In a few years time it will be more than possible. For now, it’s difficult to leave the capital,” Dorothea promised. “Or we could leave Ferdie for a test-run of the empire.”

“I cannot believe we’re considering leaving the country to  _ Ferdinand. _ ”

“And his husband.”

“Please don’t remind me that those two married.” Dorothea laughed as the emperor rubbed at her temples. Her ring—the one that matched Dorothea and Byleth’s—caught the sunlight. “‘Lady Edelgard, can you oversee my ceremony to Ferdinand.’” She lowered her voice, trying to mimic her dear friend. “I’m surprised it didn’t take me to the grave.”

“Ferdie has become a wonderful leader in his own right,” Dorothea said, laughing. “It will be as much Hubie’s rule as his.”

Edelgard looked like she was going to argue when there was a knock at the door. “Your Majesty, the professor’s carriage has arrived.”

Edelgard beamed and Dorothea could only assume that she, too, was glowing. It had been a long few months without their partner and although there were plenty of letters, it was never the same as  _ being with _ her. They had gone too long without seeing her face—her soft smile and beautiful eyes. 

“Milady.” Dorothea offered her hand and Edelgard took it. They laughed as they walked through the halls together, trying to take their time so they wouldn’t beat the carriage to the gates. It was hard not to sprint to Byleth. “She probably went back to cutting her own hair with her knife.”

“Please don’t say that,” Edelgard said. “Remember when she cut it too short?”

“Mercedes and I had to fix it. It was perfectly asymmetrical, she didn’t use a  _ mirror  _ to cut the back.”

“I miss her.”

“We get to see her right now!” Dorothea laughed, squeezing her dear Edie’s hand. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Edelgard said.

They walked outside of the castle as the stablehands were beginning to get the horses unsaddled. Dorothea caught a glimpse of Byleth’s navy hair and the two of them headed towards the carriage she was occupying. Thankfully, their partner did  _ not _ cut her own hair this time, her bangs needed to be trimmed from her eyes. She was wearing her usual cloak, but with casual clothes that she had been favoring as of late.

Byleth saw them, smiled, and Dorothea melted.

“One minute, I have a surprise.” Byleth  _ dodged _ her partners, who were looking for a kiss hello.

“I’m sure it can wait,” Edelgard said, frowning slightly as Byleth ducked  _ back _ into the carriage. She looked at Dorothea but she waved Edelgard off.

“It’s rare for her to be impatient.” Dorothea laughed, still playing with Edelgard’s hand. She wasn’t even wearing her crown, confident enough to walk outside of her own castle without it.

Byleth emerged with a bundle of blankets. “She’s asleep.”

“She?” Edelgard raised her eyebrows. Dorothea let go of her hand as the blankets were hoisted into her arms without warning. She stared at them, hearing a tiny  _ meow _ from inside. “Byleth…”

There was a lot of  _ squirming _ , until a small head peaked out from the blankets, crying at the new person that was now holding her. She was a black cat and she was  _ small _ . She squirmed out of the blankets and made a valiant leap to the cobblestone.

“ _ Fish, no. _ ” Byleth made a grab for the kitten, scooping her up in one hand and putting her back in Dorothea’s arms. The songstress was nearly in tears. “She’s small, but she is fast. She is  _ so _ fast.”

“Where did you find a kitten?” Edelgard asked, her eyes wide. Dorothea cooed at the cat. She was so impossibly small. “And… Fish?”

“One of the monastery cats had a litter,” Byleth said. “I know that you were talking about the possibility of children, but we have to wait until the new emperor is crowned. I think the two of you could handle a cat, though.”

“Byleth, she’s so  _ small _ ,” Dorothea said. “God, I love her. I love  _ you _ .” She looked up to Byleth and stole a kiss from her before she could disappear again. “She’s so small,” she repeated.

“She was the runt,” Byleth said. Dorothea watched as the kitten wriggled in her arms, readying herself to jump again. “And she’s a  _ brat _ .” Byleth picked up the kitten, holding her in one hand as she leaned over and kissed Edelgard. “I missed you, El.”

“I missed you… but a  _ kitten _ ?” Edelgard managed.

“Fish, meet your mom.” The professor used one hand to cup Edelgard’s, before dumping the kitten into her hands with a small cry. She kissed her partner’s forehead. “I will get my stuff, you are in charge.”

Byleth ducked into the carriage once more and Dorothea realized that she had never seen her partner this… animated. She was practically buzzing with enough energy that it could have been Caspar. It was nice to see her like this, not being dragged down by leading them all into war. Finally being able to settle into the role of teacher, friend, lover.

“She named a cat  _ Fish _ ?” Edelgard asked, fidgeting with the kitten in her arms. The little baby was doing her best to escape, Edelgard frowning as she essentially passed the kitten back and forth between her hands each time Fish managed to squirm out. She looked uncomfortable, not cradling the kitten to her chest.

“Do you want me to hold her?” Dorothea asked. Edelgard passed Fish to her and Dorothea picked her up, looking at her face. “Hello, baby girl,” she cooed.

“Byleth is out of her mind,” Edelgard said with a short huff, wiping her hands on her dress. Dorothea sensed the shift in mood, but Byleth had returned with bags in her hand before she could ask.

“She tried to jump out of the carriage so many times. She doesn’t understand how  _ good _ she’s going to have it here.” She paused, looking to Dorothea. “For now I think it would be best if we kept her in the room with us. When she gets lost, she starts crying.”

“Walk and talk, darling, I think she’s looking to jump.” Dorothea was trying to hold her tightly without  _ hurting _ her, but the cat was maneuvering and wiggling out of any grip she had managed. She urged her partner on, Edelgard walking behind them. “How was your trip? How were the tests? Did everyone pass?”

Byleth laughed and began to answer each one of her questions as they walked through the castle, occasionally helping Dorothea to keep Fish in her arms.

“I do have to ask… Fish?”

“Well,” Byleth said as she quickly unpacked a couple of her bags, mostly filled with things for the new kitten, who was exploring her surroundings. Edelgard had taken a seat at the small table, not even looking down when Fish had climbed up onto her boot. “My two favorite names were taken, I couldn’t have two Dorotheas or two Edelgards. I had to choose a third thing that I loved.”

“Oh, stop,” Dorothea urged, giggling from being on a list with  _ fishing _ a close third, but pulled Byleth in for a kiss. She had missed her lips so much, missed her strong arms on her waist. “You are very happy, Byleth.”

“I feel very happy.” Byleth nodded, the smile evident in her eyes. “I get to teach again. I have two beautiful partners… and when the title is passed we’re going to expand our family. It’s really been the only thing on my mind since you wrote about it,” she admitted. “Imagine, you and Edelgard as mothers.”

“You are smiling so much,” Dorothea said, a surge of pride washing over her. She turned to Edelgard. “Look at our love, dear.”

The emperor didn’t respond, keeping a close eye on Fish as she pounced on a small fish-shaped plush that Bernie had made. Apparently Byleth had written to her asking for her to sew it when she had decided on keeping the kitten.

“Is she well?” Byleth whispered.

“Perhaps overwhelmed by the cat?” Dorothea suggested. “She was really excited to see you, I promise.”

“I’m back, so at the very least there’s no need to rush.” Byleth just continued to unpack, lightly engaging in the conversation and playing with Fish.

For the rest of the afternoon and evening, Edelgard was quiet. Byleth had caught on as well and did her best not to press. Dorothea thought it was strange, considering how thrilled she had been the past  _ month _ for Byleth’s arrival. Now, she had pulled away from both of them, asking not to be touched and only responding to their questions with brief answers. Even when they had gone to bed, Edelgard curled up by herself away from the other two.

When Dorothea felt the bed shift and heard Edelgard sneak out, she didn’t know what to do. On one hand, it wasn’t uncommon for one of them to simply not have enough energy to be present in the relationship for the day—it was easy to burn out when there were so many external pressures. On the other hand, Edelgard would rarely leave the bed anymore, even if her nightmares interrupted her sleep.

Dorothea sat up, tiptoeing out of the bed.

Edelgard was sitting on the rug next to where Fish was curled up in a ball. She had her knees tucked to her chest, staring at the kitten as if she was going to disappear. Dorothea considered leaving her to her thoughts, but she wanted to be sure.

“Edie, darling,” she said gently, hoping not to scare her. “Thinking?”

Edelgard turned quickly, her silver hair catching the moonlight. “I’m sorry, I didn't mean to wake you.”

“It was getting a bit hot, anyways,” Dorothea said. “I’m not used to sleeping between both of you again.” She sat down on the floor next to her partner and waited for her to speak. By this point in their relationship, she knew better than to push the emperor. If she wasn’t going to share her feelings on her own terms, she would just bottle them up and refuse to bring them back out.

The room was cold without the heat of Byleth next to her and Dorothea wished she had taken a blanket from the bed.

“I should have been closer to you and Byleth today, I’m sorry.”

“There seems to be much on your mind,” Dorothea said honestly. “Besides, our dear professor was tired from travel, there’s always tomorrow.”

“I promise I want to have a family with both of you.” Edelgard didn’t look at her, instead kept her eyes steady on Fish. “I want it more than anything.”

Dorothea smiled, thinking about all the nights they had talked about adoption together while Byleth had been away. The closer the transition period came, the easier it was to indulge in their fantasies of running a home together. Not a country, nor a castle; but a home.

“I don’t want her to get hurt,” Edelgard mumbled, extending a single finger and gently petting the sleeping kitten. “What if I’m not able to protect her?”

“Darling, they are gone,” Dorothea assured. She knew not all of this was about the kitten, regardless of how precious the little ball of fluff was. The people that had tortured Edie, tried to break her spirit time and time again only to use her as a  _ weapon _ . And an effective weapon she was. “We can protect our family. I promise.”

Edelgard sat quietly on the rug, her legs tucked up underneath her. Dorothea thought she looked older. There were so many times when she stood addressing the empire in full armor or dress that she looked young. Edelgard von Hresvelg didn’t get a childhood—Dorothea could only understand to an extent. She had despised the nobility growing up, only interacting with them for favors for her survival. Even once she went to Garreg Mach, she never thought a noble could suffer as much as she did.

When Edelgard finally shared her story, it was a nightmare she could never imagine.

“We do not know for sure that they are completely gone,” Edelgard insisted.

“We do,” Byleth spoke. They both turned, thinking that she had long fallen asleep. Byleth tiptoed out of bed and joined Dorothea, Edelgard, and little Fish on the rug. “I will never let a single person lay a hand on you ever again.”

Edelgard took a deep breath. “I know that you’re here. You are both here: this is irrational.”

“It’s not irrational,” Dorothea promised, “but your burdens aren’t yours to carry alone.”

“El,” Byleth whispered, leaning in and kissing her partner’s cheek, “you already have done so much to protect your family… to protect everyone in this country. Trust your own accomplishments and know that we are still here to walk with you.”

“You have so much more faith in me than I do,” Edelgard said, before the tears finally fell from her eyes. She put her head down into her knees, covering her face. Her voice broke. “What if I put them at risk? What if I put  _ you _ at risk? I couldn’t protect my last family… what if I can’t protect this one?”

Her chest heaved as she began to sob on the floor, practically crumbling into herself. Dorothea’s heart broke, but she was grateful for her Edie’s willingness to show her emotions. It was less than a year ago that she would refuse to show any weakness, not even in front of her partners. Even though she was crying—no,  _ because _ she was crying—Dorothea knew that she felt safe with them.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“No apologizing,” Dorothea assured. “Is it okay if I rub your back?”

Edelgard nodded so Dorothea leaned into her, putting an arm around her and rubbed at her back and shoulders, brushing her hand through her hair. Byleth also put a hand on her, following Dorothea’s movements. It was quiet, save for Edelgard’s cries, until Fish stirred from her bed and bounded up to Edelgard, meowing as she put her front paws on her leg.

“See, she wants her mama to be happy,” Byleth said, scooping up the kitten and plopping her once more into their partner’s lap. “I also want to see her mama happy.” A quick kiss was pressed to her temple as Edelgard cradled the kitten.

“Look at how proud Byleth is of her animal daughter,” Dorothea said with a light laugh that brought a ghost of a smile to Edelgard’s lips. “What do you think, Edie? How much is she going to spoil our children?”

“You’re going to be the weak link,” Edelgard managed, wiping the tears from her eyes. “You won’t be able to say ‘no,’ Dorothea.”

“Oh,  _ sure _ ,” Dorothea huffed, but she was happy to see her partner teasing. “If it’s what the future holds for us, I’m sure we won’t be disappointed.”

“Look, Fish is already asleep.” Byleth pointed to the kitten who had curled up once more. “She really was just checking on you, El.”

“I guess she was,” Edelgard said, wiping the final tears from her eyes. “Perhaps we should sleep as well?”

Silently, Dorothea and Byleth decided it would be best to have their dearest Edelgard in between them, where they would be able to protect her. She didn’t have to be strong all the time, not when she had them to rely on. 

The three of them cuddled with one another in the dark castle, awaiting the light of the new dawn.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! My name is Molls and I write (mostly) sapphic polyam content!
> 
> If you enjoyed please consider following [my fandom twitter](https://twitter.com/archivewithmoll) and [my personal twitter](https://twitter.com/mollyswiencki) where I write sapphic polyam novels!
> 
> thank you for the support <3


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